Trump-Maldonado Meeting & Caribbean Tanker Seizure
- The United States government has seized an oil tanker with connections to Venezuela,according to U.S.
- This seizure marks the sixth instance in recent weeks of the U.S.
- military stated the Veronica was operating in violation of a quarantine established by the Trump administration for sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.
U.S. Seizes Venezuelan-Linked Oil Tanker
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The United States government has seized an oil tanker with connections to Venezuela,according to U.S. officials. This action occurred on January 15, 2024, the day before a scheduled meeting between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Recent Seizures and U.S. Policy
This seizure marks the sixth instance in recent weeks of the U.S. intercepting vessels carrying, or having previously carried, Venezuelan oil. The operation took place in the Caribbean Sea. The U.S. Army’s Southern Command confirmed the tanker, identified as the Veronica, was seized in an operation described as “uneventful” before dawn.
The U.S. military stated the Veronica was operating in violation of a quarantine established by the Trump administration for sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. A statement from the military indicated that any oil leaving Venezuela must be ”coordinated correctly and legally.”
These actions are part of a broader U.S. strategy, initiated during the trump administration, aimed at removing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power. This campaign included the capture of Maduro and his wife on Venezuelan territory on January 3, 2024. Following this, Trump stated the U.S. intends to control Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely, with the goal of revitalizing the country’s oil industry.
“Ghost Fleet” and Sanctions Evasion
The seized tankers have been either directly sanctioned by the U.S. or are part of a network known as a “ghost fleet.” These vessels operate without proper registration to obscure their origins and facilitate the transport of oil from sanctioned countries, including Iran, Russia, and venezuela. U.S. Department of the Treasury – Financial Sanctions
In a separate incident the previous week, the U.S. seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, which had been pursued for over two weeks across the Atlantic Ocean and was accompanied by a Russian submarine. This operation drew condemnation from Russian authorities. Reuters: U.S. seized russian oil tanker after two-week Atlantic chase